XI.

SER M. felf has with a greater Concern recommended to us: and that We should, much lefs, discover a greater Zeal about the Differences in Opinion and Worship, amongst Chriftians, not plainly determined in the Gospel, than for the more important Duties expressly commanded in it: for this is, certainly, a Zeal not according to Knowledge.

When the Duty of Sacrifice, under the Law, came in Competition with the Duty of Charity and Mercy, our Lord himself obferved, out of one of the Prophets, that GoD required Mercy, and not Sacrifice. And fo, when any Moral Duty comes in Competition with an infituted Rite, we know, by this Rule, (confirmed by our bleffed Lord,) which is to give Place. This Preference fhews that the One is, of itself, of greater Value; and therefore, Reafon will direct us to have more Zeal for it.

So likewise, it is certainly lawful for Us to be concerned for any Practice, Opinion, or Notion, relating to Religion, which we ourselves think True, and of Importance; and to fhew this Concern by all Chriftian Methods; nay, to endeavour to convince Others of the Reasonablenefs of complying with it. But it is a wretched Abfurdity to make the Obligation to this Compliance, of equal Importance to Mankind, with their Obligation to Righteousness and Holiness and much more So, to fhew a greater Heat and Concern,

;

Concern, in order to make Men all of ones ER M. Mind, and one Opinion, than in order to make XI. Them holy, and juft, and charitable. Having juft mentioned this Caution, I now proceed to the next Thing I propofed; which was,

II. To lay down the best Rule I can, for regulating our Religious Zeal.

This is certain, that it is our Duty to have a Zeal for GOD, and for Religion. But it is our Duty alfo, as certainly, to take effectual Care that it be a Zeal according to Knowledge; left otherwise it should flame out, to the Prejudice and Dishonour of Religion itself, and of that God in whofe Service it pretends to burn. The Best and only Rule, I can think of, is, that we must take all poffible Care to fix in our Minds juft and true Notions of the Nature of GOD, and of the great Defign of Christianity. For, as the fundamental Error of Men, in this important Matter, has been the forming to Themselves the falfeft Notions of the Nature of Almighty GoD, and of the End of the Gospel itfelf; and, as this Error has given the fad Occafion to all their Madness, under the Covert of a godly Zeal: So, the Rule I have mentioned must be the most proper to prevent, or cure, this great Evil.

When Men have been fo foolish, as to imagine that God is pleafed, and ferved, and worshiped,

SERM. fhiped,

XI.

as He ought to be, by little and trifling Ceremonies; nay, by abfurd Rites, and ridiculous Offices of Devotion; (as many have brought themselves to think,) They naturally lay out all their Strength, and employ all the Bent of their Minds, to establish and propagate thefe; and stick not, at last, to destroy All that stand in the Way of their Fancies. Indeed, the chief Agents of this Sort, in the World, are, I believe, too wife to be perfuaded themselves of the Truth of what they pretend to Others. But many, who ferve under them, in the Profecution of their Ends, think that all they are doing, let it be never so bad, is neceffary for the Honour and Service of Almighty God, and his true Religion; and therefore, lawful. But if we would not Ourfelves be of the Number of Those whofe Zeal is a Difhonour to God; we must take Care to know what that God is, whom we ferve; what his Nature and Attributes are; what his Will and Pleasure is; and what the End of his making Mankind capable of regarding it, and living according to it.

Nothing can be of more Service to us, in the Matter now before Us, than This, which I am now recommending to you. Suppofing, what is certain, that We shall find, upon Inquiry, that God, the great Lord whofe Servants we are, is a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity;

that

that He is merciful, juft, and holy, to an in-
finite Degree; that he cannot hate any of his
Creatures; that he wishes, and designs their
Happiness; that he made them to know, and
worship, and ferve Him, in the Practice of all
Virtue; that he reveled his Will to them, by his
Son, in order to teach them more effectually to
live foberly, righteoufly and godly, in this pre-
fent World; and by This to bring them to all
Happiness in another, and better State: Suppo-
fing, I say, a ferious Perfon made truly fenfible
of this; Is it poffible for him to think of honour-
ing God
any otherwise, than by the Practice of
what he knows to be pleafing to him? Or, to pur-
fue any thing in the whole World, with a Zeal
comparable to That, with which he preffes after
what He knows to be the Will of that God?
Can fuch a Man ever suffer himself to tranfgrefs
the plain Laws of God, in order to promote his
Honour? to be cruel and barbarous, in order to
carry forward the Glory of his merciful Fa-
ther? to be unjust and uncharitable, to shew his
Zeal for the God of all Right, and the Father
of all Mercies? Or, to be ill-natured to all the
World about him, in order to propagate the
moft peaceable and beft-natured Institution in
the World?

I hope, as far as the Nature of the Thing itfelf can go, I may be juftified in answering,

That

SERM.

XI.

SERM,

XI.

That fuch a Conduct is next to impoffible.

He,

who fincerely inquires into the Attributes of AlV mighty God, cannot easily suffer himself to act any thing contrary to that Nature and those Attributes. He, who ferioufly looks into the Christian Religion, will not eafily think that any Thing, which contradicts the very Design of that Religion, can be acceptable to Him who inftituted it. He, who fees how great a Stress is laid in the Gospel, upon Holiness, and Mercy, and Peace, can never be induced, under Pretenfe of the Honour of Chrift, or his Church, to difregard the Practice of thefe, even for one Day. Nor can He, Who ever once thought in earnest about Religion, be brought to imagine it to be a praiseworthy Practice to serve the Cause of it by vicious and immoral Actions.

There is nothing therefore, more likely to fix our Zeal upon its true Object; and to fix it in the greatest Degree upon what most deserves it; to keep it from difcovering itself in all Methods disapproved and condemned by Religion; and to rectify the Principles and Motives which give Life to it; than the Study of the Nature of God, and the Defign of Christianity. I hope, upon the whole, I may conclude, That, if Men would ftudy the Book of Reason, and the Gofpel of Chrift, feriously, They could not poffibly entertain, or fhew forth, any Religious Zeal, but

what